Thursday, 20 March 2014

Choc chip pikelets

I might have been bang on time with St Patrick's Day this year. For the disorganised among you, take heart. I was late with St Valentines Day and today am even later with Shrove Tuesday. They are not even proper pancakes. These pikelets are as close as I got. While I had wild dreams about creamy vegetables wrapped in thin pancakes or rich chocolate pancakes with caramel and pecan sauce, these humble pikelets are more my sort of thing. I added choc chips because everything tastes better with chocolate. I think!

In fact I made them twice. The first batch came from Coles supermarket and were yummy but much thinner than traditional pikelets. (Yes they are as thin as the ones on sale in the supermarkets but they don't really know about tradition, do they?) Later when I looked at the recipe I found that it had quite a bit of melted butter unlike my favourite pikelets recipe.

The pikelets were made for a kids party in the park. I was glad that pikelets are a doddle to make as I made them just after Sylvia put a coin in our CD player. So I made them just before we left. Ideally I would have cooled them more so they didn't go soggy when piles on a plate. They were quite floppy anyway. The food at the party was great - popcorn, strawberry ice cream, watermelon, fairy bread and the gorgeous ladybird cupcakes.

It was lovely to relax in the park and catch up with some of the parents from Sylvia's class. She loved the make-your-own-crown activity, feeding the ducks and the balloons. After holding her own party in the park recently, I was impressed at the effort gone into this party. I was also glad to find that Sylvia is not the only birthday girl who isn't comfortable with the attention of singing happy birthday.

I forgot to put aside any pikelets for E in my hurry to get to the party. So the next weekend we decided to make them again. These ones were more like my regular ones but using some yoghurt and oats. I burnt most of them on a low heat and found that the ones that were golden brown were heated on a higher heat.

However like the previous batch of pikelets, the choc chips melted as they cooked and made for a messy frypan and a messy plate. Sylvia was very keen to help fry the pikelets but I found it easier when E took her off to read a book while I flipped them.

We gobbled them up quickly and I put a few away in the freezer for school lunches. However I didn't love them as much as I thought I would. I had moments of being unsure that choc chips really belonged in chubby pikelets. Perhaps the more buttery thin ones were more appropriate. I am still not sure. I can attest to finding them rather moreish despite my misgivings. I guess I will have to make another batch just to make sure. I suspect I will still like them. Whatever I feel about them with choc chips, I will be adding oats to my regular pikelets.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter in a small mixing bowl or large jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix to make a thin batter. Heat heavy based non stick frypan over medium heat and swirl a little melted butter over the base to cover the pan. Drop tablespoons of batter into the frypan (they spread quite a bit). Flip over when the mixture bubbles and then fry on the other side another minute or so until golden brown.

Mix together ingredients to make a thick batter. Heat heavy based frypan over medium high and swirl around a small knob of butter to just cover the pan. Drop dessertspoons on the pan, making about 4 to 6 pikelets at a time. When the batter slightly dries and a few bubbles form, flip the pikelets over and cook another minute or two until golden brown on the other side. Eat warm or at room temperature. Best eaten on day of making.

19 comments:

Oh yes!!! Yum yum yum! We call these drop scones and I make them as a special treat for breakfast sometimes (only my glutenfree, dairyfree version!). Otherwise we have a 'healthy' version every day of the week for breakfast!

Thanks Vicki - I am not clear if drop scones are made to be eaten cold - which is what my idea of pikelets is - though I quite liked these warm with the gooey choc chips. But I am sure that drop scones and pikelets come from the same traditions

They look like the "drop scones" we often had for afternoon tea growing up. Very popular with me with strawberry jam! I don't think I've ever put chocolate chips in pancakes, as ubiquitous as the idea is. I guess I've been concerned about them melting all over the place too... I love that last picture with your fun plates and Sylvia's little hand!

Thanks Emma - I loved pikelets with jam and probably prefer that to choc chips because they are messy but I think it seemed a good idea for a party. (And sounds like drop scones are eaten at room temp like pikelets if they were eaten for afternoon tea)

These look like just my thing too Johanna. And you have sparked a(nother) pikelet craving in me! I truly think I could eat pikelets forever, and there are so many variations that it would almost be possible to have a different flavour each day. Chocolate chips are a great addition here :)

Thanks Kari - I love pikelets too - I tried apple pikelets on the weekend with grated apple and they weren't great (I don't think they cooked well enough - though they were all eaten) but I liked the oats in the pikelets - like you say, lots of variations to try

Sounds like you need to make another batch Johanna, just to make sure ;-) When I tried making Welsh cakes with chocolate chips the pan got into a terrible mess and the chocolate burnt, but yours looks really good. Despite making loads of pancakes on and around Shrove Tuesday, you've given me a yearning for some more.

Thanks BTW for all your comments on my blog and for saying nice things about the new look. Always much appreciated.

Thanks Choclette - as always the best ones are the ones you see in the photos but I found choc chips quite messy which makes me less inclined to make them again - we quite regularly have banana oat pancakes (one of my favourite ways to use up an old banana) so I feel I get my fill of pancakes but I have the urge to experiment with different ones (unlike sylvia who loves the banana oat ones)

My daughter often makes chocolate chip pikelets or pancakes. I hate the sticky mess, but I have to admit I love the taste. There's something about the melted chocolate, and they're even good once they've cooled down and the chocolate hardens up again. You'll definitely need another batch!

Thanks Linda - I think Sylvai would like to make the pancakes or pikelets herself - I suspect that it wont be long before she is - good to hear you approve of choc chips and that your daughter is making your pancakes

Thanks Lorraine - I am usually aware of shrove tuesday - we always had pancakes on that day as a kid and it was quite significant as the day before lent started because we didn't have dessert in lent - but I just don't always manage to make pancakes.

I love pikelets. And these look amazing. I didn't get my act together for St Pat's day and nor did I get there in time for Shrove Tuesday. I really will get my act together for these events next year! xx

Thanks Charlie - it is hard to follow all the festivals - I wish I could celebrate more on my blog because it is fun but I find I am more likely to celebrate the ones that mean something to me - and then serendipity makes it easier to remember a few others

So pretty and tempting! Love the sound of the oaty ones especially. Thanks so much for linking up with #recipeoftheweek. I've pinned and tweeted this post and hope to see you linking up again soon! :D x

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Recipes and reflections in which our vegetarian heroine dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe; being a goddess in the kitchen; and being gladdened by green gadgets, green food and green politics because green is the colour of hope. See About Me for more info.